the
Signal
www.obusignal.com
04.30.15 Volume 123 Issue 24
Ouachita Baptist University
Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal PRESIDENT HORNE speaks during last year’s commencement ceremony. This year’s commencement ceremony will be held Saturday, May 9, at 9:30 a.m. on the lawn of Cone-Bottoms. That morning, 343 graduates will be awarded degrees including Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education.
Commencement to honor 343 graduates May 9 By TRENNIS HENDERSON
Vice President for Communication Ouachita will hold its 128th spring commencement exercises on Saturday, May 9, at 9:30 a.m. on the front lawn of the university’s historic Cone-Bottoms Hall. The ceremony will honor 343 graduates earning degrees including Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees. Ouachita President Rex M. Horne,
Jr., will preside over the annual commencement exercises. Dr. Ray Granade, director of library services and professor of history, and Dr. Nancy Hardman, Edna and Freda Linn Professor of Communication Sciences and Pre-Medical Studies, will serve as commencement marshals. Dr. Raouf Halaby, professor of visual arts and English, who is retiring after 42 years on the Ouachita faculty, will serve as honorary marshal. The ceremony will include an in-
vocation by Senior Class President Jamie Barker, a biology major from Smackover, Ark. Scripture reading will be led by three students from the Pruet School of Christian Studies: Sophie DeMuth, a Christian studies and speech communication major from Rockwall, Texas; Blake Kutter, a Christian studies major from Farmington, Ark.; and Sara Walker, a Christian studies major from Sulphur Springs, Texas. Dr. Stan Poole, vice president for academic affairs, will introduce the
graduates. Dr. Danny Hays, dean of the Pruet School of Christian Studies, will lead a responsive reading and Jay Heflin, chairman of the Board of Trustees, will deliver the prayer of dedication. The commencement exercises will be livestreamed at new.livestream. com/obu/commencement2015. A video of the ceremony will be posted at www.obu.edu/broadcast following the service. For more information, visit www.obu.edu/registrar/ graduation-and-commencement. n
New online degree program brings changes to summer course schedule By ANNA KUMPURIS News Editor
As the spring semester comes to a close, it is time for students interested in taking summer-term classes to register. However, the addition of Ouachita’s new online degree programs has prompted some changes to the summer registration process. Previously, Ouachita’s summer course offerings consisted of three-week Mayterm courses, and two options for four-week courses either in the beginning of the summer (Summer I), or towards to the end of the summer (Summer II). All three of these summer terms had course offerings both on campus and online. Now however, the summer courses are arranged to better correspond with the online degree program. “Our first fully online degree program courses were
offered this spring, and those are designed in eight-week terms,” said Dr. Stan Poole, vice president for Academic Affairs. “So, as part of that process we decided to make our summer online courses eight-week courses as well. That’s a different thing than we’ve had in the past, so it’s a little confusing.” Four-week long Summer I and Summer II classes will still be offered this summer, but all of these courses will be exclusively on campus courses. The three-week May-term will offer both on campus and online courses, but all summer term online courses will be offered for one, eight-week term to better correspond with the online degree programs. Students interested in taking these summer classes may take up to three online classes during the eight-week summer term, equivalent to an 18-hour load during a regular semester on campus. As a result of the differ-
ent summer term schedule, the class registration process has changed slightly. When going online to the info portal to register, students now have three different menus to choose from while selecting classes: the first to clarify whether the student is interested in online or residential classes, the second to choose between the various summer terms and the third to choose the class. An additional change to this year’s summer registration process is that students are now able to also register through their advisers. “We’ve been doing [online summer registration] at least for four or five years, and before that you could only get in summer classes by going through your adviser. After that, you couldn’t go through your adviser, you had to self-enroll,” Poole said. “Our deans requested that we go back to the idea that advissee ONLINE z 3
In this issue:
#seniors2015 Senior Section, p. 5
S News 1 n S Opinions 4 n S Seniors 2015 5 n S Sports 9 n
Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal The new Elrod Center building has been under construction since September, 2014 and is set to be completed for dedication this coming June.
New Elrod Center building dedication set for June 11 By SARAH HAYS Staff Writer
The new Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community will have its dedication service on Thursday, June 11. That day, there will be a tour of the building, the dedication ceremony and a Board of Trustees meeting. Special guests will include donors, board members and Dr. Ben Elrod, the namesake of the
center. Since most students will be away from campus on summer vacation, there will be an Open House day sometime early in the fall semester. All of the students and staff will be able to tour the building on this day. The new building has been under construction since September of 2014. The newly re built Elrod Center will feature see ELROD z 2
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
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this weekzCALENDAR REFUGE is tonight at 9 p.m. at Second Baptist Church. For more information, contact James Taylor at taylorja@obu.edu.
FINAL EXAMS will begin Monday, May 4, at 8 a.m. and end Friday, May 8. For more information contact Stan Poole at pooles@obu.edu.
ACADEMIC AWARDS BANQUET is tonight at 5:30 p.m. in Walker Conference Center. For more information contact Marsha Whalen at whalenm@obu.edu.
THE SENIOR PICNIC will take place Thursday, May 7, at 6 p.m. in Walker Conference Center. For more information, contact Phil Hardin at hardinp@obu.edu.
VIRGINIA QUEEN PIANO competition will take place tomorrow, May 1, from 3-5 p.m. in McBeth Recital Hall. For more information contact Dr. Lei Cai at cail@obu.edu.
GRADUATION CEREMONY will take place Saturday, May 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lawn of Cone Bottoms. For more information contact Judy Jones at jonesj@obu.edu.
CAB’S GLOW RUN will take place tomorrow night, May 1, at 8 p.m. at the intramural fields. For more information, contact Jimmy Phillips at phillipsj@obu.edu.
MAY TERM will begin Monday, May 11. Classes are held both online and on campus. For more information contact Stan Poole at pooles@obu. edu.
[from our perspective]
5 4 3 2 1
Moments from the 2014-2015 school year
A new look for Moses-Provine Tiger Traks 40th anniversary The Tigers winning the GAC Championship in four sports The debut of Cliff Harris Stadium Snow days (#thanksTrennis)
Newsroom seniors: What will you miss most about the department?
Emily Terry Editor-in-Chief
Tyler Rosenthal Photography Editor
Noah Hutchinson Opinions Editor
Aly Smith Ouachitonian Editor-in-Chief
““Honestly? Probably my giant iMac in the newsroom. But also the professors.”
“These professors that I have become so close with and who care about me.”
“Swinging tomahawks with Dr. Root.”
“My Arkadelphia parents (The Roots2), newsroom nights and Zebra Cakes.”
ELROD
z Continued from Page 1 two large conference rooms, a kitchen, a beautiful entryway, an adequate amount of storage space and plenty of room for growth. A special highlight of the new building will be a case of memorabilia from Dr. Elrod’s life. The geographical location of the building is of strategic importance. It is located at the corner of 6th and Cherry Streets. The overall appearance of the southern approach to the campus is greatly improved because of the new location and look of the building. “Of course, it is a very energy efficient building,” said Ian Cosh, vice president for community and international engagement. As for the current building that houses the Elrod Center, it will eventually be torn down. Ultimately, the university has bigger plans for that area. Cosh believes that this new building will give them more of an advantage for serving the campus and community. “I honestly think that it’s going to be a new day,” he said. Once settled in their new building, the workings of the Elrod Center could also see some changes. “We will undergo a program review,” Cosh said. “Which means we will revisit all of the
current service projects. There might be new needs that we need to tend to. We try to be open to new opportunities.” The Elrod Center service to Ouachita and the Arkadelphia community began in 1997. Its signature event each fall and spring semester is Tiger Serve Day, a community wide event where the Ouachita community works to serve the community of Arkadelphia. The current Elrod Center programs are: the Community Volunteer Placement Program, which assigns Ouachita volunteers to service positions with non-profit organizations; ElderServe, a program to establish a bridge of care between college students and the elderly; EyeServe, a volunteer partnership program between the Elrod Center and Vison Source of Arkadelphia to provide eyeglasses for local residents; the Kluck Student Enrichment Grants that provide funding to enhance existing programs related to student activities; and TranServe, a unique program that notes service to the community on a student’s transcript. Disaster Relief and Healthy Relationships Week are two more specialties the Elrod Center offers. To get involved with the Elrod Center or to learn more information about the programs, please visit the Elrod Center website at www.obu.edu/elrod or call at (870) 245-5320. n
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Haley Hatcher z The Signal PRESIDENT HORNE acknowledged retiring faculty and staff members Shirley McMillian, Raouf Halaby, Margaret Frazier, John Cloud, Yvonne Cloud and Jackie Suggs for their years of service at Ouachita during a retirement reception held last night in Walker Conference Center.
Ouachita honors six retiring faculty, staff at reception By NADALIE GILL Staff Writer
Ouachita will say goodbye to six retiring faculty and staff at the end of this school year. Among the retirees are John Cloud, Yvonne Cloud, Margaret Frazier, Raouf Halaby, Shirley McMillian and Jackie Suggs. These retirees were honored at a retirement reception held yesterday. John Cloud is the senior development officer for estate and legacy gifts at Ouachita. His wife, Yvonne Cloud, has worked in Ouachita’s bookstore as manager and co-manager with Beverly Dickerson. They have each worked at Ouachita for over 30 years, Mr. Cloud for 32 years and Mrs. Cloud for 31 years. “We have raised our fam-
ily on the campus. It has been a wonderful experience, and I enjoy watching the young children running campus. They are making good memories,” Mrs. Cloud said. Margaret Frazier is the director of Campus Housing and has worked at Ouachita for 26 years. “Being able to work with the students and help get them settled in their housing has been fun. It may have taken a while to get it all figured out but it was a good feeling when we were able to make it come about,” Frazier said. Dr. Raouf Halaby is a professor of English and visual arts, and has been working at Ouachita for 42 years. “The students have been at the center of my life. I still correspond with students I taught in the 70s,” he said. “There is
something about being around young people who are trying to chart their course in life. What an awesome responsibility I have to do right, to help them shape not their personalities, but to help them shape their futures.” Shirley McMillan is the director of the OBU Foster Grandparent program. The Foster Grandparent program is geared toward people ages 55 and up, and are invited to participate as foster grandparent volunteers to serve at-risk children and youth one-on-one to help them achieve a healthier future academically, physically and emotionally. Jackie Suggs is a part of the carpentry crew and facilities management for Ouachita. For more information, contact Phil Hardin at hardinp@ obu.edu. n
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
Laken Livingston z The Signal DR. AMY SONHEIM speaks to Ouachita English and education students at the DeSoto Bluff trailhead before they led 140 Arkadelphia eighth grade students along the trail in a creative writing exercise. This exercise was in preparation for author Clare Vanderpool’s upcoming visit. Vanderpool will lead writing workshops at Ouachita and at Goza Middle School this weekend.
Campus Activities Office to host second annual Light the PATH Glow Run tomorrow night, 8 p.m. By KATIE KEMP Staff Writer
Campus Activities will host their second annual Light the PATH Glow Run this Friday night at 8 p.m. The 5K race will begin at the intramural fields and span all across campus. The race course will be lined with lights, neon colors and music. At various stations along the course, participants will be powdered with neon paint that will glow under the course’s blacklights. The race was started last year when Samantha Burgess approached CAB students about doing a 5K fun run to benefit Partners Against Trafficking Humans (PATH), Arkansas’ only human trafficking shelter. All proceeds, excluding the cost of race t-shirts, directly benefit PATH, which provides therapy, mentoring, Christcentered recovery programs, educational programs and life skills development options to victims of human trafficking. The race aims not only to raise money for the organization, but also to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking.
Ouachita students are encouraged to participate to raise money for a worthy cause and have fun in the process. Participants are welcome to wear costumes and neon colors and are invited to a blacklight party once the race is finished. Here, participants will be able to learn more about PATH and enjoy even more blacklight glow powder. “Being that it’s the last Friday before finals, students need to shake off the stress of the semester before they dive into finals. This is a safe, fun way to do that with your friends,” said Tim Harrell, director of Campus Activities. Last year’s race had 140 participants and Campus Activities hopes to see 200 participants in this year’s race. Participants can register to race with three different packages ranging from $20-$30. Students interested in signing up for the Glow Run can visit obu.edu/glowrun, stop by the Campus Activities office or visit the Glow Run table in the student center Thursday and Friday during lunch. For more information contact Jimmy Phillips at phillipsj@obu. edu. n
Tyler Rosenthal z The Signal TIGER TRAKS participants spent the weekend competing in the Ouachita Student Foundation’s 40th anniversary of the event. Games ranged from tricycle races in the Village Circle to raft races in the pool to volleyball in a giant mud pit.
Newberry children’s author Clare Vanderpool to visit Ouachita this weekend, May 1-2 By AMY SONHEIM Guest Writer
The Department of Language and Literature is teaming with the Department of Education to bring Newbery children’s author Clare Vanderpool to Arkadelphia this Friday and Saturday, May 1-2, as the keynote speaker for “River Bluffing,” a project jointly sponsored by Ouachita, The Clark County Arts and Humanities Council, Group Living and The Department of Arkansas Heritage. “River Bluffing” uses Arkadelphia’s historical DeSoto Bluff on North 10th Street to inspire creative storytelling or “bluffing.” Vanderpool will be in Arkadelphia this weekend to lead discussions and creative writing workshops concerning how to employ history, memory, and facts in fiction writing. Vanderpool will be teaching two creative writing workshops, for which OBU students have prepared by doing prewriting exercises on DeSoto Bluff. On April 20, gathering on the bluff were writers Mali Crumpton, Nathan Dickard, Kacy Earnest, Rachel Gaddis, Allison King, Maddie Myers,
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ers can put students in for the summer, but we would keep the self enrollment too, so now we’re allowing both options.” Because the pre-registration period for residential students has passed, students should self-register online at this point, though they may still arrange meetings with advisers about summer courses if they would like. To self-register online, log into the student web portal. Under the Academic tab, select class schedule and select the course or courses to take over the summer. After choosing the courses, an option will come up to pay. Tuition charges for all classes are $325 per credit hour. Payments may be made online with a credit card through the student or parent portal, or may be mailed to Student Financial Services. If students do not pay for the
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Audrey Nisbet, Ellie Quick, Jessica Saunders, Treslyn Shipley, Shelby Spears and Hannah Wright to brainstorm scenarios of Osage and Caddo Indians; Thomas Jefferson and William Dunbar; European traders and Arkansas travelers. On April 29, these same students plus Macey Burr, Kaela Butler, Josh Cartwright, Layne Castleman, Kaitlyn Clark, Emily Crump, Madison Dunbar, Jossie Ho, Megan Kelley, Ashlyn Meece, Abby Pickett, Emily Rankin and Audrey Rodriquez guided 140 Arkadelphia eighth graders to make up their own stories on a field trip to DeSoto Bluff. On May 1, Vanderpool will lead Arkadelphia eighth grade students in a master class on creative writing at Goza Middle School. With the assistance of several Ouachita students, Vanderpool will present the story “Navigating Early: The Story Behind the Story,” highlighting the young adult novel she wrote about a boy named Early on the autism spectrum who adventures through the wilds of Maine. This year, all the Arkadelphia eighth graders read Navigating Early as part of their curriculum. On May 2, from 10-11:30
a.m. in Lile 321, Vanderpool will conduct a creating writing workshop with Ouachita students Walter Dodd, Hannah Wright, Shelby Spears, Nathan Dickard, Kacy Earnest, Rachel Gaddis, Allison King and Jessica Saunders, gathering afterwards on DeSoto Bluff to picnic. Everyone is invited to participate in the “River Bluffing” project by attending two of Vanderpool’s open lectures on turning history into story. Vanderpool will deliver “Moon over Manifest: The Story Behind the Story,” tomorrow from 8 – 8:50 a.m. in Lile 321. Vanderpool will also be giving a community-wide talk tomorrow evening, from 6 – 7 p.m. titled “The Transformative Power of Story” at The Honeycomb Restaurant in downtown Arkadelphia. The evening lecture, as part of Art on Main in downtown Arkadelphia, will feature an open gallery walk through and free refreshments. Everyone is welcome to come enjoy the art of painting, photography and storytelling for free. For more information about Clare Vanderpool’s upcoming visit and lecutures, contact Amy Sonheim by email at sonheima@obu.edu. n
course before the enrollment period has passed, they will automatically be dropped for the course. May Term classes begin May 11, online Summer Term classes begin June 1, as do campus Summer I classes, and Summer II classes begin July 6. Students studying abroad during the summer must also register for the international study summer course to ensure they are still listed as a current OBU student. Students who intend to take summer courses at another institution this summer must complete a course substitution form before enrolling to ensure that they will receive credit for that class. For a complete list of this summer’s course offerings, view the class schedule on the info portal. Though currently online degree programs are only offered in business and Christian studies classes, administrators expect the program to grow in the coming semesters and as a result, more online classes
could be added in the future. These online courses are also available to residential students during the regular fall and spring semesters, though residential students are limited to one online course per semester. Even with the growing use of online courses and registration processes, Ouachita administrators are still committed to making the Ouachita experience personal for students. “We believe in the personal touch. We believe that’s part of what distinguishes Ouachita from other places and we don’t want to lose that,” Poole said. “We didn’t want to lose that sense of relationship. And we’re not looking to technology to replace the relationship between faculty and students, we’re just looking to it to enhance what we do and make it more efficient.” For more information about the online degree programs or registering for summer courses, contact Poole at pooles@ obu.edu. n
Ouachita Baptist University Office: Evans Student Center E-Mail: signal@obu.edu Phone: 870.245.5210
Emily Terry
Dixon Land
Tyler Rosenthal
Dr. Jeff Root
Anna Kumpuris
Ali Robinson
Nate Wallace
Dr. Deborah Root
Noah Hutchinson
Caroline Poole
z EDITOR-IN-CHIEF z NEWS EDITOR
z OPINIONS EDITOR
z SPORTS EDITOR z AD MANAGER z COPY EDITOR
z PHOTO EDITOR
z VIDEO MANAGER
z ADVISER z ADVISER
Ms. Tiffany Eurich z ONLINE ADVISER
The Signal is the student newspaper of Ouachita Baptist University, and is published every Thursday during the fall and spring semesters when school is in session. The newspaper is distributed free of charge; 1,200 copies are placed in more than 20 locations across campus. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the newspaper staff or university. The Signal is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press and is printed by the Hope Star.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Letters to the editor are encouraged and accepted, unless libelous, irresponsible or obscene. Letters should be typed and include a signature and contact phone number, and must be less than 500 words. The Signal reserves the right to edit letters for space and style. Letters should be sent via campus mail to Box 3761 or via e-mail to signal@obu.edu.
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opinions
Thursday, April 30, 2015
www.obusignal.com
Not goodbye, just see ya later By EMILY TERRY Editor-in-Chief @emilymterry “Emily?” “Yes, Dr. Root?” “I think you need to be across the hall in the Signal office.” That sentence, spoken to me freshman year by Dr. Jeff Root in the old mass comm department (otherwise known as the dungeon of Mabee) was the beginning of my three-year whirlwind romance with The Signal. My newspaper journey began in high school when I tried out for the newspaper on a whim and somehow got accepted onto the staff. I was scared and confused and didn’t know InDesign from Illustrator or a dropcap from a byline. But I was encouraged and guided along by those above me. When it came time to choose a major for college, writing was the only thing I had ever really been told I could do well. Plus, mass communications was the only major that seemed to fit my indecisive brain and heart. I emailed Dr. Root on Nov. 9, 2010, beginning my email with, “Dear Mr. Root,” because I was that out of the loop as to how college worked. Fast forward four and a half years from that first email and I’m sitting in the editor chair in the newsroom, typing this as the words “Emily’s Last Paper” stare me down from the white board. This issue of the paper will be number 36 with my name in the top slot and I can’t help but be humbled by that. I am thankful for so many people that not only helped me get to this position I have been blessed with, but also those who have loved me and encouraged me throughout this past year and a half. First of all, I’d like to say a special thank you to the one and only Margaret Sorrows. She was the one who saw my angsty 200-word narrative disguised as a journalism staff application and took a chance on me when I was 15. She was the first one to tell me I was a talented writer. Her love for newspaper and for pushing students to be better took me from a scared little sophomore with a blue/gold personality to the editor of a college newspaper with sass and a very, very orange way of life. Then there’s Michael Daly. For anyone who didn’t go to Bryant High School, imagine Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory and replace physics with literature. Keep the dry sense of humor and impeccable and effortless comedic timing. Thank you, Daly, for teaching me how to write well and think critically. To all of my professors, thanks for loving learning, loving your craft and loving helping me. Whether in
my major or not, you impacted me more than I could ever say and I can’t wait to come back and visit you all the time – because let’s face it, we all know I’m going to be THAT alumna. I’d like to give a special shoutout to Dr. Jeff Root for so many things: for seeing my potential to do something with my time at Ouachita, for his captivating style of teaching that makes it impossible not to learn and for never making me feel stupid, even though I’ve definitely been stupid from time to time these past four years. I’m going to miss walking into your office to ask a simple question and ending up talking about life for an hour. My Wednesdays won’t be quite the same without you and Dr. Deb walking in from editing pages and you throwing me a zebra cake from across the newsroom. One thing I will definitely not miss is you telling Dixon and me that we should date, but I’m sure that won’t end just because I graduate. (Sorry Dixon.) I would be remiss if I were giving shoutouts and didn’t include the one and only (Professor) Tiffany Eurich. Thank you for being the most fabulous person I know and for whatever reason thinking I’m cool enough to stop and talk to while I’m “working” in the newsroom. I don’t know how you do everything you do all while radiating such an infectious happiness, but I fully intend to try to be as much like that as I possibly can as I go throughout my adult life. That one time you complimented me on my radio voice will forever be one of my top five favorite compliments because it meant a whole lot coming from you. Please never stop emailing me funny things that you think will make me laugh. To Noah “Thor” “Hutch” Hutchinson: You’re a weird one. But in the best way. I’m going to miss your strange compliments and odd feats of strength. You see the world differently from any other person I’ve ever known and while it used to freak me out a little, it’s really grown on me over the years. Thank you for being honest, for being yourself and for making me realize just how dangerous weapons can be. I’m sorry I never worked out with you (but let’s be real, I would not have made it), however, I promise I’ll get around to watching “Mad Men” someday. Most people probably don’t know the great Tanner Ward. But he’s important too. I met Tanner my sophomore year of high school on my first day of newspaper. We sat across the table from each other and he ended up with the unfortunate task of answering any and every question I had (because Sorrows scared me to death) – and I had a lot of questions. We got our Twitters at the same time and he still loves telling the story of how he tricked me into thinking Kevin Jonas tweeted me back. He graduated from Bryant, came to Ouachita, was a mass comm major, worked for The Signal and later became the editor-in-chief. You’ll notice that I ended up doing the exact same thing. He got to answer all my college newspaper questions and
teach me how to do the job I’ve now done for three semesters. His brand of sass is one of my favorites and I consider him one of my closest friends. Hopefully he feels the same way or else I just made our friendship really awkward. We’ve interviewed Colton Dixon and Danny Gokey together. I can honestly say I have never interviewed a celebrity with anyone else by my side (mainly because I have not interviewed any other celebrities). Depending on how well he’s talked me up, I’ll soon follow in his footsteps once more and we can be co-workers again. (Lannie, if you’re reading this, please hire me.) Dixon. Dixon, Dixon, Dixon. What do I say about you? I’m glad you were in my NSR group your freshman year and read the paper and talked to me about it all the time. I like being able to take the credit for you joining The Signal and adding a mass comm major. I have always admired your passion for journalism and your excitement about making this publication the best it can be. I cannot wait to see all the amazing things you do next year as editor. However, I am worried that you will stress your way into an asylum. So please do not do that. I’ll be sure to print off more motivational quotes about staying calm and plaster them all over the newsroom before I leave. I’m proud of you and how far you’ve come. Unless I move to California, Tanner and I will come visit you and watch you work on the paper; because, let’s face it, we won’t do any more work than we have to do. Most of all, thanks for not succumbing to the peer pressure and trying to date me – but the, “Oh, I made her mad. Looks like I’m sleeping on the couch tonight” joke is getting old. Who’s side are you even on? To the students, faculty and staff of Ouachita: Thank you most of all. Thank you for reading The Signal. Thank you for not burning me at the stake for misspelling your name or not catching a typo or incorrect fact. Thank you for the encouraging words and even for the criticisms; they both made me a better editor and even a better person at times. I entered this job pretty unsure of who I was or what I could do and I’m leaving it confidently, knowing that I am capable of doing anything set in front of me, no matter how terrifying it seems in the beginning. That is probably the most important life lesson I’ve learned at Ouachita and without The Signal, I probably wouldn’t have learned it at all. I’m not too sure how to end my last Signal piece. It’s a weird feeling knowing I’m passing the torch and I won’t be sitting in my chair at my desk after I walk across that graduation stage. But when I think back on my time here, I know I’ll always smile, even if it’s just because I don’t have to stay up until 4 a.m. on Wednesday nights anymore. So, thanks Ouachita. Thanks for being good to me and for letting me tell your stories. It’s been an honor and one heck of a fun ride. I’ll see you at Tiger Tunes 2015. n
Who’s afraid of the big bad world? By NOAH HUTCHINSON Opinions Editor @Hutch15 A lot of the time, I feel like a kid. The people I look up to in life have been very gracious to me. My parents have bankrolled my entire existence, including gas and tuition, as well as supporting me through anything I’ve ever wanted to achieve in life. The professors in my major have been like a second family to me, taking time out of every week to personally guide me through any projects I might need advice on and to teach me how to be a professional and an adult even when they were off the clock. Even my professors outside of my major have been nothing but loving and understanding to me. I’m probably the worst Spanish student Margarita Pintado ever had, but she never gave up on me. Any money I get I can use to buy hats, video games and pizza, I didn’t know how to do laundry until the spring of 2014 and I’ve never been a day in my life without a wise, outside perspective on any problems I run into. It’s great. But it makes jumping out of the nest and into the big bad world seem all the more intimidating. Just the other day, however, I came to the realization that the absolute authority that comes with being a “grown up” doesn't really exist. Someone advanced in their years, who I don’t happen to like, was rude to me. Being smug. Sticking his nose in the air. Treating
me like a kid. Just as I thought, “I’d like to knock that guy’s teeth down his throat,” I realized that I could. He was just a slouched over sack of skin and bones, most likely with a laundry list of ailments from a lifetime of sitting at a desk. Regardless of the consequences I might face with the law afterwards, if I was feeling chemically unbalanced that day, I could’ve delivered a lesson in courtesy right to his left collar bone. I was better than him at something that could’ve been highly important, and even though he’s still oblivious to it, he was completely at my mercy. The point is, if you seem like a silly, clueless Bambi to the residents of the “big, bad world,” it’s only because they’ve put as many years as you’ve been alive into existing as an independent adult. They look like they’re better at it than you are because they’ve had practice. Look at something that you’ve excelled in though. Are you a great baker? Can you dance? Do you get, like, a thousand likes every time you upload a picture to Instagram? If that guy that turned you down for a job tried to do that thing that you’re awesome at, you’d probably stomp him into the ground. Take that experience, the process of practice, research, growth and eventually success that you’ve already applied to something seemingly unimportant, and apply it to real life. Make habits out of taking care of your responsibilities. Grind away in your career until it becomes second nature. Every day that you make a point of investing in your life as an independent adult brings you another step closer to phasing out any middle aged punks that, maybe as little as a month ago, acted like they’d be looking down at you from the molehill of adulthood forever. In some way or another, you’re an achiever. That
thing that you’re good at is probably something that not just anyone would’ve been able to do. But almost everyone, down to Cletus and Velveeta living in their RV with their twelve toothless children, has pulled off being a functioning adult and holding down a job. Do not be intimidated just because you’ll be having to interact with people who pay health insurance and have furniture they didn’t buy at a garage sale. As soon as you collect a check and pay a bill, you’re as much of a grown up as most of the people you’ve encountered who’ve been able to order you around. Except you can also paint. Or play the piano. Or if you can bench press more than Bobby Middle Class could lift an inch off the ground, you can loot his hamlet in the off chance that there’s ever a large scale societal collapse. You’re young enough that your entire life has been an uphill journey of position and experience, and the apathy that comes with the daily grind hasn’t made you forget how to climb. Once you hit that base level of being a “grown up,” you can only keep moving up from there. When Andrew Jackson was our age, he had already fought in two wars. You are one baby step away from wielding as much authority as somebody who might’ve told you that you couldn’t go to the bathroom last week. Do not be afraid. Even when you’re out on your own, you can still go to your parents and mentors and people you respect for wisdom. And if some high and mighty loser comes along and acts like you can’t do it just because he got old before you did, remind him that you will corner clothesline the dust off of him the next time he steps out of line. Metaphorically speaking of course. Although he should keep in mind that I could do it for real. n
class of 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
special section
it all started 8.21.11
THE CLASS of 2015 begins their Ouachita journey with worship during the New Student Retreat in August of 2011. In nine days, the class will once again come together, this time to sit with one another on the lawn of Cone-Bottoms for commencement.
Four years. Four years of open dorm, CDAs, Refuge, Chick-fil-a, intramurals and chapel. The class of 2015 is nearing the end of its time on campus. They were the biggest class of freshmen the school has ever seen. They were the first and last freshman Tiger Tunes show. They’re the last ones who ever tried to sit in the old student center, complete with its dark booths and awkward twolevel seating.
They had to go all the way to the lower level of the caf to get Starbucks brew coffee, not Dr. Jack’s. They didn’t see a Battle of the Ravine win until their senior year. They lost a classmate – one who will be missed and remembered on graduation day, as well as every day before and after. They aren’t the first to have come and gone through this campus, but like each class before them, they have left their own mark on Ouachita
and those they leave behind. Over the past 45 months since they began their time in the Bubble, they have been known as roommates, classmates, pledge brothers, freshman family group siblings and Tiger Tunes dance partners. However, they will soon be known to more than just this campus. They will be known as more than those things. They will be known as pastors, doctors, missionaries, writers, teachers, mothers, leaders and difference makers...
McNeel to perform in summer opera programs By EMMA SEAY Staff Writer
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rospective students come to college wanting to take in new opportunities during their next four years. As these years progress, confusion about the future starts to fade and students begin trying to find their way before graduation comes upon them in early May. At least that is how it is for Todd McNeel Jr., a senior mass communications major and speech communications minor from Cincinnati, Ohio. After he graduates, McNeel will be going to graduate school in Boston, Mass., this August. However, in between graduation and August, McNeel already has opportunities lined up for him for the summer. “After graduation, I first will be touring around the state of Arkansas performing in a children’s opera called “The Bremen Town Musicians” and I will be performing the role of General Boon. The production is through Wildwood Parks for the Arts out of Little Rock,” McNeel said. McNeel and the other performers will be touring around the state of Arkansas, putting on productions at elementary schools and art venues. This production will promote an “opera for kids” program by Wildwood for the Arts based Little Rock that specializes in the actors performing while simultaneously teaching the kids acting. McNeel found out about this program from friend and Ouachita alumna, Caitlin Secrest. “She told me about this audition that was happening and
asked if it conflicted with my summer plans and so we just drove up one day in March and auditioned. There was another Ouachita alumni connection that was over the auditions, and so it was just posted on an audition forum so we drove up there, set up an appointment, I sang my song, and then about a week later, I got the call that they wanted to hire me for the leading baritone role,” he said. McNeel will be performing with this production company from the Monday after graduation until the end of May. Right after this production ends, McNeel will then head to his hometown of Cincinnati to join the Cincinnati Opera as a chorus member. He will participate in their production of “Turandot,” an opera composed by Giacomo Puccini, as a chorus member. McNeel also had to audition for his role in the Cincinnati Opera but the wait was much longer. “For the Cincinnati opportunity, I drove up in November and auditioned and then found out in February that I got the part, so that was a long process of waiting,” McNeel said. For both of these summer programs, there was a long process that had to be completed before a person could be hired. “For the summer programs,
what you have to do first is set up a time to audition. Next, you send in your resume and they look at your resume and then decide if there is a position needed for you. Then, you go audition in person and you just present to them a series of songs that show the range in your voice and they then see if you are what they are looking for. After that, the waiting process begins a n d sometimes it takes a week, sometimes it takes four months – it just depends,” he said. M c Neel will be performing with the Cincinnati Opera until August when he heads to Boston, Mass., to start graduate school. McNeel’s love for performing and singing began when he was four years old. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he wanted to be a singer. “I always thought that I wanted to be the next Usher or Chris Brown or something like that. That was my idea of being a performer,” McNeel said.
He didn’t realize how much he loved the classical route until after his first two years at Ouachita when he placed at NATS, a very prestigious competition. “When I came to Ouachita, I started my first two years off as a musical theater major and so that is how the whole classical side got started. I then placed in the classical division in a competition called NATS, and then realized that maybe classical was a better route for me because not a lot of people sing classical music and lot of people want to be the next big pop star, which helped me decide to take another route,” he said. “I then auditioned for my first professional opera with the Cincinnati Opera, and since then, I haven’t turned back.” Even though McNeel is looking forward to the many opportunities that await him after graduation, he definitely has made a home at Ouachita that he will never forget. “I will miss the friends that I have made because I feel like I have made some of the best of friends here at Ouachita. I will miss the support of my professors. It will be weird, moving to Boston because most of my friends will be in the Arkansas and Texas area so I will be so far away from my friends and my family and I am starting off in a big city where I won’t know anyone,” McNeel said. To the prospective students coming to Ouachita in the fall, McNeel wants them to “take advantage of every opportunity that Ouachita gives you. Since it is a small campus it is easy to gain a lot of valuable experience.” n
6 n senior section Thursday, April 30, 2015
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“It’s going to be really hard leaving, some people love Ouachita and I really love Ouachita.”
—Brad-Hunter Heird
“I’ve gotten really comfortable here and it’s also become home.” —Micale Kocke
“I could not be more thankful for the way that it has changed me and made me ready for the future” —Lauren Dunklin
Nursing students thankful for OBU By FAITH SINELE Staff Writer
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ost people who pursue a career in nursing go to a university for two years then head off to nursing school. For several Ouachita students, however, this was not the case. Ouachita has created an environment that made it hard for these students to want to leave after only two years. Brad-Hunter Heird, Lauren Dunklin and Micale Kocke are three examples of students who all chose to finish four years of college and earn a degree before heading off to nursing school. These three students claim a unique path to taking on their futures in nursing that is much different from the majority. “I started here as a music student, but I decided I didn’t like music as much as I thought I did. My degree is in dietetics and nutrition and I’m pre-nursing so I’ve had to take all the nursing pre-requisites and all of my dietetics classes so I’ve been all over the science building,” said Heird, a dietetics and nutrition major from Pine Bluff. After graduating from OBU, Heird will start nursing school at UAMS in Little Rock. He feels very prepared in the aspect of living life in an apartment but more importantly, he feels as though he is well prepared academically. Some things Heird is a little nervous about are the teachers at UAMS and transitioning back to more of a public school environment instead of the Ouachita community has has grown accustomed to over the past for years. “The teachers here expect a lot, but at the same time they’re very understanding. I feel a little bit nervous about how teachers will be at UAMS,” Heird said. “I came
from a public school but being at a private Christian school for four years and going to another public school is going to be a big change.” Heird’s inspiration to become a nurse comes from his aunt who works at Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. He has always had a passion to be a nurse, rather than a doctor. “Nurses make money, they love what they do and I like helping people and taking care of people. My dream is to be a nurse practitioner where I can be a doctor and I can prescribe medicine,” Heird said. The hardest part for Heird in this next phase of life is going to be leaving the place he loves so much. “I don’t want to leave! I want to stay longer! I love Ouachita. My dream is if one day nurse Molly retires, I want to be the nurse or nurse practitioner,” he said. “It’s going to be really hard leaving, some people love Ouachita and I really love Ouachita,” he said. Another dietetics and nutrition major, Lauren Dunklin, reflects on her time at Ouachita and is proud of her decision to stay for the full four years and get a degree. “The two extra years have not only prepared me more educationally but just generally in life. I have been blessed to make lifelong friendships that have helped shape me into the person I am today,” Dunklin said. Dunklin says she is impressed by the dedication of the natural sciences department and professors. “I remember one situation, it was a night before a test and I still did not understand something. My professor was still in the science building and when I found her and asked for help she sat down and went through the entire problem and was so happy that she could
help me for the test,” Dunklin said. It’s safe to say that there’s no place like Ouachita and although it doesn’t take up much space on a map, Lauren shares that she has been highly impacted by it. “It’s sad to know that I will soon be out of the bubble, but I could not be more thankful for the way that it has changed me and made me ready for the future,” she said. Another unique nursing student, Micale Kocke, a biology major from Cabot, says that leaving Ouachita is going to be a bittersweet experience for her. She is excited and ready for taking the necessary next steps in life but she will miss OBU. “I’ve gotten really comfortable here and it’s also become home. But it’s also exciting too because nursing school for me starts May 27, so it’s really close and I’m ready to take the next step,” Kocke said. Kocke is very excited to start taking classes more focused on what she wants to be doing, as opposed to the classes that she doesn’t necessarily need for her future job. Kocke remembers when she felt a true calling to pursue nursing. “I came in to OBU as a secondary education and math major. I switched halfway through my sophomore year and started over from scratch,” she said. “Trying to make sure my schedule was okay and I graduated on time was really hard.” Kocke has had to put a lot of time and dedication into her decision to become a nurse. Though Kocke is sad to be leaving Ouachita, she is assured in knowing that this next stage of life is very important for her. “I think this new season in life is needed because it’s going to show me more of what the real world is going to be like and open me up to new experiences that are different from what OBU offers,” she said. n
senior section n7
www.obusignal.com
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Etauj Allen:
Football after Ouachita By DIXON LAND
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Sports Editor
tauj Allen came to Ouachita as a junior in the fall of 2012, playing previously at Cisco Junior College in Cisco, Texas. At five-footnine, 185 pounds, Allen quickly became noticeable on the practice field in Arkadelphia. “As a junior college transfer it was hard for me to go to a D2 school,” Allen said. “But when I came here, I felt nothing but love from the coaches and team and felt I would fit right in.” Allen also commented on the fact that during his recruiting visit, he fell in love with the campus. “I liked how beautiful the campus was and how much they wanted to win games here,” Allen said. “What I loved was that it was a Christian atmosphere and I had potential in growing my faith.” Allen focused hard on football his first year here. “My first year here at Ouachita was a pretty good one, but I didn’t
make many friends because I was really trying hard to focus in on my task at hand. I still had that junior college mindset,” Allen said. Allen found that the focused effort on football gave him instant success. He quickly became the starting defensive back in 2012. Allen started all 10 games for the Tigers, amassing 38 tackles, two interceptions, 10 pass break ups and 12 passes defended at DB. With his efforts, he was named 2nd team All-Conference on a team that won six of 10 games that year. During the 2013 season, Allen played in all ten games as well, recording 17 tackles, adding one interception, four pass break ups and one blocked kick. He ranked second nationally with 18.2 yards per return. He scored twice as a returner and was a two-time GAC Player of the Week. Allen also was named to the 2013 All-GAC first team and BSN’s AllAmerican Second Team. If Allen hadn’t already
distinguished his place in Ouachita history before, during the 2013 Battle of the Ravine, Allen returned a punt from Henderson State for a tying touchdown to send the game into overtime. Running towards the north end zone of A.U. Williams Field, Allen shook off Henderson tacklers and balanced himself along the Ouachita sideline to glide into the end zone in front of hundreds of Ouachita students lining the berm on that side of the stadium. “That was one of my favorite moments in my college football career,” Allen said. “My adrenaline was pumping so much that I could hardly remember much of anything on that play. I remember seeing everyone in the end zone jumping up and down and I had to jump into them. That was a dream come true.” But further than just football, Allen has learned to love Ouachita for all that it has to offer. “My favorite part about Ouachita is the unity,” Al-
len said. “The unity here when things get rough is so great. People support every sport. They give us opportunities to be successful and grow in our faith when we need encouragement most.” In this past season he returned three punts for touchdowns, with the longest one coming as an 82-yard return. Allen amassed 425 yards in ten games on punt returns and 77 yards on six kickoffs returned. He also recorded 25 solo tackles and four assisted tackles at defensive back. “My senior year was all about literally finishing empty. The team this season taught me to fight hard and never give up. I poured my heart out this season to help my team in every way possible. I was desperate for a championship this season,” Allen said. “I wanted it badly for my team and for my school. I was also desperate to beat the snot out of Henderson,” he said. “We owed them from last season.”
Allen plans to take the success he had this past season into the future, as he has already committed to playing professional football after he graduates. “I’ve committed to playing for the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL which is a blessing. But I’m waiting for the NFL draft this week and have a few opportunities presenting themselves,” Allen said. “So God willing, I will continue to play on. The best is yet to come.” So as Allen continues to play the game he has loved his entire life, he will remember this past season: a special season for a special group of seniors. “We were hungry in football this year. We all wanted to end our year with a bang and get a ring. ‘Finish Empty’ helped us,” Allen said. “This year I grew in my faith and put many things in God’s hands alone. That showed me God’s true power, and showed me how he works in mysterious ways.” n
Two students set out for Asia While the time gets closer for Katie to leave, she has been preparing her heart for By WILL LECHNER Staff Writer the trip for quite some time now. When Katie was a sophomore, she felt uns we enter the final few weeks of sure of whether she was supposed to go to classes and graduation day grows graduate school. When she told her profescloser every day, the seniors at OBU sor about it, she learned of Wade’s plan to are looking forward to finishing their college go on a mission trip after she graduated and education and moving on to the next chapter in life. For many, this is a reflective time, full of reminiscing about the good ole days. For others, this is a stressful time, with many rushing to and fro getting ready for graduate school or a career. One senior, Katie Theriot, finds this season as a time of excitement as she prepares to go on a mission trip in August to Southeast Asia. Theriot, a speech pathology major, will be traveling with another OBU senior, Allie Wade, to Asia for four months. While she is excited about the potential mission work, she is also excited about being able to use her knowledge as a speech pathology major to work with the child of a missionary family. “The mom is trying to homeschool three other kids along with him and meet his needs, so it will be good to help her out and Katie felt that was what God wanted her to use our knowledge to help him,” Theriot do. said. “I was really nervous about telling my Along with working with the local mis- parents about it because I didn’t have very sionaries in the community, Katie and Al- much information about it, but God was lie will be living in dormitory style housing faithful and they were content with the inwith other people their age. formation I had available,” Theriot said. “Being around people our age in this hous- As the day draws near, Theriot continues ing setup will give us a chance to form some to grow in anticipation for her trip and the relationships and share with them, so I am ability to use her knowledge as a speech really excited,” Theriot said. pathology major to help out the mission-
A
“Because His love is greater than anything this world has to offer.” —Katie Theriot
ary family there. While they are out in the community, she and Wade will pour into the lives of these missionaries and help encourage them. Along with her excitement, Theriot expressed a few conditions that do make her nervous. “I usually see my family every two months, so it shouldn’t be too bad, but I know there will be times when I miss them.” Along with the time apart from her family, Theriot also expressed apprehension about the traveling documents and the necessary steps that need to be taken for her to travel to Southeast Asia. While this will be her first overseas mission trip, this is not Theriot’s first ministry. She has been heavily involved in Backyard Bible Club throughout the years in the Arkadelphia community. This ministry has prepared Katie for interacting with people and developed her people skills. “Ultimately Backyard Bible Club has taught me how to love with the love of Christ,” Theriot said. As Katie prepares for graduation and for her trip overseas, she asked if we would continue to pray for her and Wade as they witness and work with the local missionaries. As she looks back on her years, Theriot said that she definitely sees how the Lord has prepared her for the coming mission trip and that she is ready to teach the lost about the love of Christ. “Because His love is greater than anything this world has to offer.” n
8 n senior section Thursday, April 30, 2015
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Fason prepares for overseas basketball
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By ZACH PARKER Staff Writer
ew players are lucky enough to achieve their lifelong dream of playing a sport at the collegiate level. After that, almost none have what it takes to continue to the next level and play that sport professionally. After finishing the first step, senior Colt Fason of the Tiger basketball team has no intentions of giving up on the game that he loves. Since the final buzzer in his last game as a college athlete, Fason has been continuing to work on his craft with the hopes of signing on to play with a professional team overseas. “I’ve always had a dream to go overseas to play professional ball so that’s been in the back of my mind since my freshman year,” Fason said. Despite having these long-term personal goals, he never let that get in the way of leading his team and helping them reach their full potential. This season Fason was named to the All-GAC First Team after averaging 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He also helped lead the Tigers to a conference-best 20-5 record in the regular season. “I couldn’t really think a lot about it in the beginning, but now that my senior season is over I’m able to really start working hard to train and get in condition to make that next step,” he said. For Fason, this process is very similar to that of a high school player trying to get recruited. “It’s similar to Ouachita and coming in to play college basketball, you never really know what type of player you’re going to become, so my goal is to just get my foot in the door over there and let me see where I can go from there,” he said. Much like he did in his four-year career for the Tigers, Fason is just looking to get a roster spot and improve as much as he can. As a freshman, he averaged 2.8 points per game, before improving to 10.2 his sophomore season and eventually 16.9 his junior season and this season, in his last game as a Tiger, Fason became the all time leading scorer in GAC history. “I hope to see it as a long-term career, maybe 6 or 7 seasons, depending on if I can move up and depending on if that’s what God really wants for me,” he said.
Throughout this process, Fason has been in contact with former teammates of his who are cur-
rently playing professional basketball in Lithuania and Portugal to seek advice on how to achieve the success that they have. He says the next step is to hire an agent to represent him and help him reach his goal. “With Dixon [Land] helping me make a highlight tape and I have some film that I’ve put together, I’m going to start sending that out and hopefully an agent will contact me back and we can make that next step to try and find a club or a team to play with,” Fason said. Unfortunately for Fason, much like any other job searching process, there’s no real timetable for having a deal in place. Ideally, he’d like to get to work with an agent and have something finalized this summer, but nothing is a guarantee. “It’s kind of wide open right now,” he said. “One of my teammates signed a deal at the end of July but my other one was going to sign a deal in early August but something fell through and he didn’t end up finalizing the deal until mid-September.” For most people, the most difficult part about potentially playing basketball overseas would be the distance from family
and friends. It would definitely be an adjustment, but Fason says his family has had his back during this whole process. “They’ve always been supportive, especially when it comes to making big decisions and what I want to do,” he said. “My dad has always pushed me but pushed me only in the areas that my heart was wanting to go.” He credits head coach Dennis Nutt with motivating him and helping him grow from his freshman year into the player he is today.. Fason even went as far as to say that he thinks of Coach Nutt almost like a second father. “After signing to a school, you have the expectations of coming in and doing well, making new friends and doing well in academics, but what I didn’t expect was for Coach Nutt to lay the foundation for me and his family to basically treat me like a son,” he said. As one door closes, another one appears to be potentially opening for Ouachita’s basketball legend Colt Fason. As the waiting game begins, this tightknit campus will be following as one of its own looks to pursue a lifelong dream. After an international basketball career, Fason said he would like to attend physical therapy school and accomplish his final academic goal. As Tiger basketball loses a leader on and off the court, any professional team would be lucky to add him to their own roster. n
“I’ve always had a dream to go overseas to play professional ball so that’s been in the back of my mind since my freshman year.” – Colt Fason
... They started as strangers and they’re leaving as family. Even though distance may separate them, they will always be a part of Tiger Nation. As they walk down the sidewalk to the place where their time at Ouachita comes to a close, they will enter a new phase of Ouachita life. They will give back to this place that gave so much to them. They will carry it wherever life takes them, undoubtedly finding unexpected family members along the way.
it all ends 5.9.15
Tyler Rosenthal y The Signal
Photo by Kristen Barnard y the Signal BANNERS hang high from the pillars of Cone Bottoms at last year’s commencement honoring the Class of 2014. The Class of 2015 will graduate on the steps of Cone Bottoms on May 9.
sports
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9
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Tigers fall to Reddies in weekend series By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information
The Ouachita Tigers dropped their final game of the 2015 regular season on Sunday, losing 8-5 to the Henderson State Reddies. The Tigers finished the regular season with an overall record of 24-15 and a Great American Conference record of 14-8. The Tigers struck first in the bottom of the second inning, when Kyle Alexander singled through the left side to score Reuben Miller and Will Wallace. Both Miller and Wallace singled to lead off the inning, before Tyler Faught pushed them to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Connor Reed, who started on the mound for Ouachita, held the Reddies scoreless through the first four innings while striking out three. In the top of the fifth, however, Henderson State scored four runs on four consecutive hits, including a double and a triple. Reed struck out the final batter of the half-inning, leaving one runner on base. Ouachita rallied for one run in the bottom of the sixth, which started with Jace Melby reaching first on a walk. Wallace followed with a single, and after a sac-bunt by Miller, Melby scored on an RBI-groundout by
Faught. Henderson State (24-17, 16-10 GAC) responded with a four-hit, four-run seventh inning to take an 8-3 lead. The inning started with four consecutive Reddies reaching base safely, followed by a two-run double with two outs. Alexander led off the bottom of the seventh by reaching first on an error, and Jakahari Howell was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. A sacrifice bunt by Parker Norris pushed the runners to second and third, and Justin Weigle loaded the bases after he was hit a pitch. Melby then picked up an RBI with a walk.. Down 8-4 with two innings to play, the Tigers put runners on first and second after Faught was hit by a pitch and Ryan Hammer singled through the right side. After a double play, Howell recorded his first double of the season to score Faught. After a scoreless top of the ninth, Ouachita was unable to put a rally together, as the Reddies retired the next three batters to win the game and take the series, 2-1. The Tigers (24-15, 14-8 GAC) finish second in the GAC standings. The GAC Tournament, scheduled for this weekend, is in Enid, Okla., and will begin on May 2. n
Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy
Matt Sinclair catches for the Tigers earlier this season against NWOSU. The Tigers were defeated by Henderson State this past weekend in a three-game series 2-1.
Tiger men’s tennis wins fourth-consecutive title By BRANDON SMITH Sports Information
Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy
Members of the 2015 Men’s tennis team celebrate following their 5-3 victory in the GAC Conference Championship game at Memorial Park in Bentonville, Ark. The Tigers will learn their postseason during the NCAA selection show which airs Tuesday.
Ouachita Baptist made Great American Conference history by becoming the first team, in any sport, to win four consecutive GAC Tournament titles as the Tigers rallied to defeat Southeastern Oklahoma State, 5-3, in Saturday’s GAC Men’s Tennis Championship final from Memorial Park. In a matchup between the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division II Central Region, OBU, and No. 4 team, the Savage Storm grabbed a 2-1 lead following the doubles portion of the title match. GAC Player of the Year Maxim Fil and partner Tiago Ferreira, the No. 6 tandem in the region, defeated Marko Boskovic and Vitor Oliveira, the region’s No. 2 team, 8-3. OBU’s Maciej Braciszewicz and Ja-
son Mechali bested Alberto Blesa and Jack Gibbens, 8-4 at No. 2 doubles. At No. 3, the Savage Storm team of Petar Popovic and Paul Nguyen rallied from a 7-4 hole to take down Andre Stefano and Lennart Lonnemann, 9-7. In singles play, Southeastern’s Joaquin Aguilera registered a straight-set win against Stefano, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) for a 3-1 lead. From that match on, the Tigers would not lose again. Mechal defeated Popovic, 6-2, 6-2 and Oliveira ousted Blesa, 6-2, 6-4 to even the match. In a contest between the GAC’s last two Players of the Year, Boskovic defeated Fil 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 to put the Tigers in front, 4-3. Lonnemann secured the championship-clinching victory as he won 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 against Gibbens. The Tigers will learn their postseason during the NCAA.com selection show. It airs online at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. n
Tigers and Lady Tigers awarded at 2015 Athletic Awards Banquet By DIXON LAND Sports Editor The Ouachita Athletic Awards Banquet took place Tuesday evening. During the banquet, athletes in every sport were recognized. In swimming, Rachel Ewart won the Women’s Outstanding Swimmer of the Year while Emile Maritz won the men’s. In football, Etauj Allen was named Special Teams Player of the Year, Kyle Lamothe and Zach Mitchell were named Defensive Players of the Year and Kiehl Frazier and Steven Kehner were named Offensive Players of the Year. In Volleyball, Chelsey Hess won the “Jerry Forehand Award,” while Tara Wait won outstanding Player of the Year. Abby Pickett took Offensive Player of the Year and Ashley Wake took Defensive Player of the Year. Ouachita Athletics also awarded Kasey McLeane with the award of “Cross Country Runner of the Year.” Courtney McDiamond was named “Newcomer of the Year.” In basketball, Jerron Smith was awarded the “Jerry Forehand Award” for men’s basketball, Colt Fason and Micah Delph were awarded the “Tiger Award” and Tirrell Brown was given, “Offensive Player of the Year.” David Berete was awarded “Defensive Player of the Year.” In Women’s Basketball, Ashley Johnson received the “Jerry Forehand Award,” Breanna Harris was awarded the “X-Factor Award,” and Emily Payne got the “Coaches Award.”
In men’s tennis, Vitor Oliveira was given “Most Outstanding Player” and Marko Boskovic was given “Most Valuable Player.” On the women’s side, Kourtney Chumbley and Keely Howk received the “Jerry Forehand Award” for tennis and Vanja Bogetic was awarded “Most Outstanding Player.” David Henley was awarded men’s soccer “Player of the Year” and Tinashe Chigede received “Offensive Player of the Year.” Tyler Mouton was awarded “Defensive Player of the Year.” In women’s soccer, Abby Emanuel received the “Jerry Forehand Award.” Haley Hatcher was awarded “Most Outstanding Player of the Year” and Bryson Rial and Tessa Woodcock received outstanding offensive and defensive player of the year. In baseball, Evan Ruiz, Tyler Faught and Jace Melby were awarded the “Jerry Forehand Award.” Parker Norris was named “Most Valuable Player,” Matt Sinclair was named, “Defensive Player of the Year” and Will Wallace and Justin Weigle were named “Offensive Players of the Year.” Connor Eller was awarded “Most Outstanding Pitcher.” In Softball, Jocelyn Jones was awarded “Most Valuable Player,” and Delaney Bedunah received “Pitcher of the Year.” Kailey Madden was named “Defensive Player of the Year,” and Sarah Johnson received the “Offensive Player of the Year” award.. In golf, Will Hegi was awarded “Male Golfer of the Year” and Ali Robinson was awarded “Female Golfer of the Year.” n
Dr. Wesley Kluck z Courtesy Softball players warm up against East Central University last weekend. The Lady Tigers fell in two games, 5-4 and 15-7. This series was the final two games of the year for Tiger Softball.
Softball season comes to close By KYLE PARRIS
Sports Information The Ouachita Tigers softball team played their final two games of the season on Saturday at Sully Anderson Field against East Central University. Despite holding leads in both games, the Tigers fell to ECU, 5-4 and 15-7. It was the final games for seniors Jessica Branam, Olivia Guin and Jocelyn Jones. After falling behind 3-0 in game one, the Tigers scored four runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead, 4-3. After Emily Acuna and Jessica Branam reached safely, Kelly Powell hit an infield single to load the bases. Kailey Madden drew the bases-loaded walk to bring home Acuna for the Tigers first run. With two
outs, Kate Lacina crushed a double to left center to clear the bases and put the Tigers on top 4-3. A pair of hits by ECU would tie the game in the top of the fourth and they would retake the lead in the top of the fifth on an unearned run. The Tigers managed only one hit in the final three innings and ECU would hold on to win game one 5-4. East Central jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning. Unfazed, Ouachita responded with four runs in the bottom half of the first. After leading off the inning with a single, Jessica Branam scored on an error by the ECU second baseman. Sarah Johnson hit an RBI single allowing Kelly Powell to score. Alex Jennings followed with a single to right field, driving in
Kailey Madden. Down one, the Tigers fourth run came on a run scored by Johnson via an error. The game remained tied 4-4 until the bottom of the fourth inning. Olivia Guin drew a one-out walk. She advanced to third on back-toback singles by Branam and Powell. Guin scored on sac fly by Kailey Madden to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead. Johnson followed with a two-RBI single to right field and the Tigers ended the fourth with a 7-4 lead. Ouachita held a 7-6 lead going into the top of the sixth inning. ECU scored nine runs in the sixth to retake the lead and win the game 15-7. Ouachita finished the season at 11-35, 7-28 in conference play. They did not make the GAC playoffs. n
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Thursday, April 30, 2015
www.obusignal.com
Gripping Reality The impact of Ouachita Athletics on me By DIXON LAND Sports Editor
@DixonCLand
Dr. Wesley Kluck y Courtesy BRANDON MARKS rushes for a touchdown against Henderson State in the 2014 Battle of the Ravine. The Tigers defeated Henderson State 41-20.
Marks set to carry the load for Tigers this fall season By DIXON LAND Sports Editor
@DixonCLand
G
rowing up in Prescott, Ark., football was a way of life. With a father that was a local legend under the Friday night lights, Brandon Marks had no other option than to be a hometown legend himself. Marks recorded almost 700 yards rushing and 800 yards receiving in high school, scoring 16 all-purpose touchdowns. Marks also played defense, amassing over 50 tackles and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. “Since I was a kid in pee wee, I always played running back. My dad raised me up playing since I was a kid,” he said. “Since I was young, I was a scoring machine and since then it just kept happening.” Marks engrossed himself in football from an early age. “I remember Christmas when I was five. My mom got me a full Cowboy’s uniform with the cleats and pants and jersey with a football. There’s a picture of it in my room at home. That’s one of my favorite memories.” Marks credits much of his success to his parents. “I had great parents that reminded me I was blessed and pushed me to get good grades in school,” M a r k s said. A s he began his senior year in high school, Marks visited a football game in Texarkana, where he met Coach Guz Malzahn, former head coach at Arkansas State. Malzahn, who is now at Auburn, expressed interest in Marks as a wide reciever. From that point, he recieved interest from Harding University and
Arkansas Tech University. Following interest from those schools, Marks was visited by Head Coach Todd Knight who immediately zoned in on him. “Out of nowhere Coach Knight came down and talked to me. I remember that conversation. I was intimadated,” Marks said. “We went on a visit and I fell in love with Ouachita.” “I liked how you walk outside and you see different people. I like to meet new people and I loved Chick-fil-a,” Marks said. Along with committing to play at Ouachita, Marks quickly decided on mass communications as a major.
“I love talking about sports and the op- portunity for me to maybe do that for the rest of my life really appeals to me,” Marks said. “With mass communications, I knew that I could get to where I want to be – talking about sports for the rest of my life.” When Marks steps on the field, he exhibts an attitude that is different than many athletes today. Marks wants to win first.
“I want to win first,” Marks said. “So no matter if I have ten rushing yards or a hundred, if we have a win at the end of the day, that’s the ultimate goal.” Marks did say that the step from high school football to college football is certainly a jump. “My first game against Southern Nazarene this season, I realized how much faster the game is,” Marks said. Following his stellar game against Southern Nazarene, Marks caught the tying touchdown pass against the Harding Bison to lead the Tigers to victory in the Bible Bowl. “I was suppossed to block on the play and I released and starting coasting to the endzone,” Marks said. “ I kinda s a t in the back of the e n d zone a n d s a w the ball come into my hands.” From that catch, quarterback Kiehl Frazier scored the two point conversion and Ouachita kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime. From that point, Marks began to take a role as the secondary running back behind Stephen Kehner. Marks’ success came in both the running game and the passing game, as he recorded touchdowns in both. Next season, Marks will be expected to carry most of the load for the Tigers. “The great thing about Ouachita is that the coaches here are always bring in great running backs,” Marks said. “I’m blessed to be able to play in the system and at the school that I do and not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for all that he has given me.” n
Jim Bouton once said, “Most players spend a majority of their life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around the whole time.” I’ve found this to be true this past year. I’ve had the distinct, and probably undeserved, privilege of covering sports for Ouachita. And while the whole time it seemed as if I was gripping a schedule that seemed to be spiraling out of control like a Davis Ward curveball, I found that it was Ouachita athletics that was gripping me. I’ve given a large part of my time to covering games this past year. It has certainly made a mark on me as I have left my mark on it. From the first game story I wrote this year, in which I finished around midnight (thanks to a 7 p.m. kickoff), that featured the word “would” about 30 times. I “would” get better. I love sports so much. In no other situation in life do you have the opportunity to battle and then come back the next day and get to try again. Sports build character. They push you further than you ever want to go. When there is nothing else to keep us together, we rely on sports to do the trick. As Rick Reilly says, “We cheer for the Vikings because Grandma does and nothing is ever going to get us to switch.” And while I will never say that I’m leaving sports, I am taking on a new role as Editorin-Chief of The Signal. It’s a responsibility that I’ve wanted for a very long time. But, with that being said, I’ll never grow out of sports. I’ll never get over the way I felt when Chris Davis took back an Alabama kick with one second remaining in the Iron Bowl two years ag, to score and defeat the Crimson Tide in one of the craziest football games I’ve ever seen. I’ll never forget the first time I ever went to a game – I fell asleep on a bench. But even with a heavy heart and metaphorical tears in my eyes, I am taking the next step in my career and turning over the reigns and keys to the sta“ dium to Ian Craft. A junior next — DIXON LAND year, Ian is well-versed in the national sports landscape and has already expressed his ambitions and plans for next year’s sports section. Ian hails from Celina, Texas, has a voice deeper than Josh Turner and loves to quote “Anchorman.” But, with all seriousness in mind, Ian will bring a fresh face to the pages, covering sports with his own brand. It’s been an incredible year for Ouachita athletics. Four conference championships – football, women’s soccer, men’s basketball and men’s tennis. We have come close in baseball for the regular season and the conference tournament has yet to be decided. Hopefully Ouachita will prove to be a worthy competitor in the baseball playoffs this weekend. As I think back to my sophomore year of working for The Signal, I think about Chelsea Byers and the wonderful training I received from her about how to cover sports. She allowed me to have the freedom to brand my own style of writing, which is something I’ve held on to to this day. I’m thankful for that and for her. I’m also thankful for Tanner Ward and Emily Terry for being great editors and even better friends. I’m not sure how I will ever be able to live up to their time as editors. In conclusion, sports is something I will always hang on to. I might even sneak up to the press box for a few football games—but only to steal a Chicken Express roll that everyone fights over. In all seriousness, covering sports for The Signal has afforded me oportunities I never would have experienced otherwise and I will miss them almost every day. I cannot wait to see what Ian does with the section and how he deicides to cover sports next season. So, henceforth, call Ian Craft sports editor, a term and position that I pass forth to him. Hopefully the burden and stress will be on his shoulders and off of mine. Just remember the words of Jim Bouton: “Most players spend a majority of their life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around the whole time.” n
And while the whole time it seemed as if I was gripping a schedule that seemed to be spiraling out of control like a Davis Ward curveball, I found that it was Ouachita athletics that was gripping me.
Thanks for reading this year! Be sure to look out for the first issue of The Signal next fall. Follow us online at www.obusignal.com